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Flight etiquette: Stomping by the Uncles and Auntys

Courtesy: Indira Gandhi International Airport

We are sure we are not alone to experience the tripping, pushing, shoving by uncles and aunties (read: mannerism) in the airport lines and even inside the planes. And we are not being specific to any airline – it could be any airline in any part of the world- specially when you travel within India by Indigo, Go Air, Jet Airways, Spice, Air India, Indian Airlines…the list goes on.

When you are patiently standing in line to get the boarding pass, out of nowhere, an Uncle cuts the line just because his flight is leaving soon. Of course, he will not ask or request mortals like you who is standing in line because he thinks he is entitled to getting in front of the line. As you are about to enter the lady’s security check room, an aunty orders you, “Let me go first, because I need to pick my purse.” Of course, she thinks, except her, no one is travelling with purses, laptops or whatever. When the airplane staff announces the time for boarding, the same uncle and aunty start running in all directions, fight, push each other to make a line.

You might think to wait until everyone broads, bad karma that you have on that day, you will find yourself in the middle seat between the same uncle and aunty. When the flight has just taken off, the aunty gets up to enter the toilet, despite flight attendant pleading, “Madame, seat belt sign is still ON!”

Courtesy: Internet

As the plane lands, the uncle unbuckles his seat belts, despite flight attendant reminding him again to keep his belt on till the Captain says otherwise. The plane slows down on the runway, the Aunty stands up to retrieve the luggage. Oh she does not do it herself, she orders you, “Please take out that bag.”. Mind you! the plane is not stopped yet. The poor flight attendant again requests the Aunty to sit down, this time though, muttering obscenities under her breath.

Courtesy: Internet

At last plane stops, and both our Uncle and Aunty who were held hostages inside the flight compete with each other to make a mad dash for the exits, which are not even open yet. Uncle hits Aunty, Aunty stares, she hits him back – Phew! Be aware being next to the Aunty at this particular time. She will step over you, your feet, your sandals to get out first. As if that is not enough, her bag will fall on your head. Before you try to understand why she is in such a mad rush, she will already ahead of everyone else in the line.

We generally try to be patient and wait for everyone to leave, though recently, one of us lost our cool, and snarled, “Everyone is going to get a chance to get out, what is the hurry?”. The uncle looked at us as if we are from Mars, Venus or wherever else, and advised , “Haven’t you ever traveled? You have to hurry, because other passengers need to get in”. Yeah like he actually cares about the other passenger! Well! But then maybe Uncle has a point.

Maybe Uncles and Aunties like them actually help IndiGo and other airlines as these flights do not have to work extra to meet their “on time” arrival race…! Or maybe, our uncle is taking IndiGo’s suggestion way too seriously..!!